


Forget Her

by fallentale



Series: Vance's Commissions [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst, Bow - Freeform, F/F, Gay, She-ra - Freeform, Writing Commission, adora - Freeform, catra - Freeform, catra x adora, catradora, glimmer - Freeform, queen angella - Freeform, she-ra and the princesses of power - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-29 03:21:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18217514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallentale/pseuds/fallentale
Summary: when patrolling the whispering woods with glimmer and bow, adora unfortunately injures her foot. transforming into she-ra, she's able to mitigate this pain. but as time passes, adora continues to wear she-ra's energy by constantly transforming into her to ease the growing pain of her injury. she can't show any pain, especially to her friends. what would they even think of her?it doesn't help that catra's waiting to strike either. if she finds adora, what will happen to the princess of power then?





	Forget Her

**Author's Note:**

  * For [milleniumrex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/milleniumrex/gifts).



> this was a commission for the lovely milleniumrex! thank you so much for commissioning me. i hope you enjoy!  
> if you're interesting in a writing commission, check out my commission page here: http://crabschip.tumblr.com/commissions  
> as always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks are deeply appreciated.

Bow peeked behind the bush, eyes squinted in suspicion. He rolled out from his hiding spot and touched the grass, collecting a bit of dirt. Bringing his fingers to his lips, he tasted it.

"Yup," he muttered, coldly. He glanced over his shoulder, raising his hand. "Someone was here."

"Bow, don't eat dirt!" scolded Glimmer from behind. She pushed a tree branch out of the way as she approached her friend. "You don't know what stepped in that."

Bow stood up, brushing his hand on his pants. "I'm just being careful!" He scanned the forest around him. "I don't want the Horde sneaking up on us."

Adora appeared from the thick of the trees, slashing at the low-hanging branches with the Sword of Protection. "I'm glad you're being cautious, but you _really_ shouldn't eat dirt, Bow." She grinned. "Unless you're trying to impress Perfuma."

"Hey!" shouted Bow, embarrassed. He crossed his arms, turning away from Adora. "D-Don't say stuff like that to me."

Adora snickered as she stuck the sword into the scabbard on her back. "I'm just teasing. Don't get so worked up about it."

Glimmer frowned, restraining her jealousy from within. "Can we _not_ talk about Perfuma?"

Bow nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, Glimmer's right." He gave Adora a playful punch in the arm. "Your jokes aren't cool."

"Oh, come on. It was funny!" Adora threw her arm around Bow's neck, digging her knuckles into his curly hair.

Bow let out a blend between a laugh and a shriek. "No, not my hair!"

Glimmer couldn't help but smile. Shaking her head, she continued through the clearing. "Come on, you guys. I'll get in trouble if we don't get this perimeter check done soon."

"Oh, of course, Your Highness!" exclaimed Bow, flamboyantly. "Would you like your finest liegemen to escort you?"

Adora shoved Bow away, snorting. "Do you call that a joke? Because that's such a lame joke." She joined Glimmer's side. "He needs to brush up on his comedy skills."

"Well, _I_ thought it was funny." Bow jumped to his feet and hurried after Adora and Glimmer. "Your jokes just don't have the humor, Adora!"

Adora rose her eyebrows, doubtful. She looked at Glimmer. "Alright, Glimmer. Settle this. Who's funnier?"

Glimmer faced Adora and Bow as she walked backwards. "I mean, I've known Bow for a long time, and he's got some good jokes every now and then."

"Every now and then?" repeated Bow. "What the heck does _that_ mean?"

"But," continued Glimmer, "Adora also has more experience." She spun back around, expression turning sour. "Even if that means mentioning Perfuma..."

"So, you're saying that I'm the better jokester?" asked Adora.

Glimmer shrugged. "Eh, you both have your pros and cons."

"Yes!" cheered Bow, pumping a fist into the air.

Adora slapped Bow on the back, the sheer force nearly sending the poor boy to the ground. "She said pros _and_ cons, Bow."

Bow rubbed his back. "I'm just gonna focus on the pros instead!"

As Adora and Bow chortled from their mediocre jokes, Glimmer was the first to spot a deep crevice ahead of them. She stopped, putting her arms in front of her friends. They, too, came to a halt.

Adora looked over Glimmer. "What's wrong?" She saw the crevice. "Oh... _that's_ wrong."

Glimmer took a step forth, peering into the crevice. She then looked at the rest of the forest ahead, gnawing at her lip. "There's no way we can cross this thing."

Bow looked to his left and right, seeing nothing but the everlasting cut in the earth. "Seems like it goes on for miles." He winced. "Did the Horde cause this?"

"Probably," grumbled Adora. "I'm sure there's another way around, though." She pulled out her sword and made her way towards the right. "I'll see if there's anything over here."

"Be careful," advised Glimmer. "Let us know if you find anything."

"I will." Adora picked up her pace and inched closer to the edge of the crevice. She couldn't pull her eyes away from its ragged sides and scorched rock. Pursing her lips, she progressed further onward.

Minutes passed, and Adora saw no end to the long, abnormal crevice. Growling in frustration, she knelt down. "There's gotta be a way around this."

"Hey, Adora!"

She looked to her left and saw Glimmer hanging onto the trunk of a tree. She held one hand over her eyes as she swayed over the crevice.

"Did you find anything?" she asked.

"No." Adora stood up. "I'm still lo-"

Her foot slipped on the crumbling rock. Before she could catch onto anything, she tumbled down into the crevice.

"Adora!" cried Glimmer.

As she collided with the ground, Adora felt the air leave her lungs. The Sword of Protection skidded out of her reach. She gasped harshly, her heartbeat thumping loudly in her ears. A cloud of terror and shock hung over her.

From above, she heard the familiar chime of Glimmer's teleportation magic. She looked up, and the Princess stood near the spot where she had fallen.

"Adora, are you okay?" she fretted.

Adora pushed herself into a sitting position, inhaling through gritted teeth. "I'm...I'm good."

Bow hurried to the edge, eyes wide with fear. "What happened?"

"Weak rock." Adora waved her hand dismissively at her friends. "I'll-I'll be fine, guys."

"That was a big fall, Adora," said Glimmer, exchanging an uneasy glance with Bow. "Can you stand up?"

Adora summoned the remains of strength as she rose. Just as she was close to standing at her full height, a sharp pain escalated through her entire body from her left foot. She held back her screams. Slowly, she sunk back to the ground.

"Oh, no," brooded Bow. "Is your foot okay?"

"It's...fine." Adora swallowed hard as she stared at her foot.

She couldn't show any sign of pain. If she did, Bow and Glimmer would simply write her off as incapable of controlling the powers inside her. She had to withstand this mistake.

And there was only one way she could prove that.

She glanced at Glimmer and Bow. "I'm gonna turn into She-Ra. Maybe that will help."

"Y-Yeah," said Glimmer. "I'm sure that will work."

Adora twisted her body as she pulled the sword closer to her. With shaking hands, she lifted it into the air.

"F-For the honor of Grayskull!"

A bright light enveloped Adora. While Bow shielded his eyes from the shine, Glimmer watched with anxiousness, unable to take her gaze off of Adora.

"I hope she's going to be okay..." she uttered as she bit the tip of her thumb.

Bow looked at Glimmer through his hands. "I bet She-Ra will fix all of this."

Although she enjoyed Bow's optimism, Glimmer thought otherwise.

The sparkling light faded away, and from it appeared She-Ra. Through the cover of the trees' leaves, bits of sunlight hit her glowing skin. Not a single bruise or cut marked her muscles. The soft breeze picked up her long hair and red cape, flowing graciously in the wind. The Sword of Protection gleamed with power, honored to be wielded in the hands of the mighty She-Ra.

Bow's hand dropped from his eyes as he stared at She-Ra in wonder. "You okay?"

She-Ra gingerly stood up and walked forth. She beamed, pressing her left foot into the ground. "It doesn't hurt at all!"

Glimmer released the breath she had held and clutched her chest. "Oh, thank goodness."

Triumphantly, She-Ra leapt into the air and landed beside Glimmer and Bow. She tapped her left foot again. "I guess it must've healed when I transformed."

"I was scared that you hurt it bad," said Glimmer. "Now, let's get out of here. We've had enough adventuring for one day."

"Yeah, I'm with you," said Bow. He looked at She-Ra. "Since you're all big and strong now, you mind giving your best buds a free piggy-back ride?"

"Ooh, yeah!" Glimmer tugged on She-Ra's arm. "Pretty please?"

"Glimmer, you can _teleport,"_ remarked She-Ra, unamused.

"But it's so much fun." Bow lightly slapped She-Ra's side. "C'mon, Adora. Please, please, please?"

"Don't make me pull out my puppy eyes," warned Glimmer.

She-Ra groaned as she lifted her friends onto her shoulders. Glimmer and Bow applauded.

"Yeah, She-Ra!" yelled Bow, jovially.

She-Ra shook her head, walking away from the crevice. "You guys owe me."

Glimmer patted She-Ra's head. "We will!"

Yet through her friends' jubilee, She-Ra felt the seed of fright plant inside her.

Her foot wasn't fully healed, was it?

* * *

 

On her bed, Adora grimaced as she applied pressure her left foot. A revolting bruise was already forming on it. She struggled to retain her tears, the pain aggrandizing with each passing second.

If only she hadn't slipped into the crevice like an idiot. Two days had passed, yet it _still_ hurt. There was no way her foot was simply sprained.

At least She-Ra had eased the agony a little bit.

Wait, _She-Ra..._

Before Adora could think more about her realization, her doors flew open. She shrieked, hiding her foot underneath a nearby pillow.

Glimmer and Bow stood in the doorway, faces taught with anger. Glimmer marched towards Adora and dragged her by her wrist. Bow snatched the Sword of Protection from the side of the bed and followed after them into the hallway.

"We've got trouble!" scowled Glimmer. "There's a Horde troop near the castle. We've got to take them down before they get too close!"

Every step Adora took intensified her pain. She bit the inside of her cheek to retain herself from crying out. "H-How many?"

"There's three tanks," replied Bow as he handed her the sword. "We don't know how many soldiers, but either way, their sights are on the castle."

"Hold on a second." Adora stopped and took Glimmer's hand off of her wrist. As she gazed at the intricate, geometric designs on her sword, she thought back on the idea that popped into her head moments before Glimmer and Bow bursted into her room.

"What is it?" questioned Glimmer.

"I..." Adora looked at Bow and Glimmer. "I'm going to turn into She-Ra now."

"Wait, why?" Bow glanced wearily out the nearby window. "Shouldn't you save your energy?"

"I mean, I don't want to underestimate the enemy," said Adora. Well, it wasn't necessarily a _lie._

Glimmer nodded. "Smart." She grabbed Bow's arm. "Bow and I will meet you at the entrance." The two rushed down the corridor, their footsteps growing quiet.

Adora shivered as she brought the sword close to her. "Don't worry, Adora. The pain...it's gonna go away."

She lifted the sword into the air, collecting her courage as a brilliant, blue shine bloomed from its blade

"For the honor of Grayskull!"

Moments later, She-Ra stepped out from the magnificent light. Grinning, she sped down the hall, the ache of her injured foot nowhere to be found.

Perhaps She-Ra was the medicine Adora needed to keep the pain away. It seemed like the only plausible solution.

She-Ra neared the entrance of the castle, Glimmer and Bow waiting in front of it. They turned around, happy to see the Princess of Power.

She-Ra sat her sword over her shoulder, cocking her head to the side. "You guys ready to beat up the Horde?"

Bow twirled his bow in his hands, flashing a smile. "You know I am!"

"I can teleport us there," spoke Glimmer. She placed a hand on Bow's arm, and offered the other to She-Ra. "It'll be quicker. Besides, I still have to repay you for carrying us."

She-Ra laughed as she took Glimmer's hand. "Good point."

A glittering, pink sphere consumed Glimmer, Bow, and She-Ra. Within seconds, the trio disappeared from the castle.

It didn't take long for them to appear by the edge of the Whispering Woods. Glimmer released She-Ra and Bow as she stepped forth.

"The Horde was reported to be somewhere around here," she explained. Wisps of magic grew from her palms. "Don't let your guards down."

As She-Ra readied her sword, Bow withdrew an arrow from his quiver. He rose his bow, aiming the arrow at whatever laid ahead.

Glimmer lead the way, searching the forest for any interlopers. A crunching noise passed through her ears. She lifted a hand to Bow and She-Ra, listening for the sound again.

"Do you guys hear that?" she whispered.

Bow and She-Ra looked around for the source of the noise. The crunching sound resumed.

Bow turned to his left, pulling the arrow farther back with the string. Through the trees, he could make out the silhouette of two strangers walking through a section of dry leaves. They sported steel helmets, an iconic piece of armor he couldn't forget.

"Found them," he uttered. She-Ra and Glimmer looked behind him, also spotting the soldiers.

"We must be close to the camp," commented She-Ra.

"I'll go check," said Glimmer. She looked at the tree above her and teleported to its top. Holding onto the branches, her eyes caught a treeless area six feet away from where She-Ra and Bow stood; three tanks, their guns aimed at the castle in the distance, sat idle. Horde soldiers patrolled the space with their deadly guns equipped.

Glimmer teleported back to She-Ra and Bow. "Yup, we're right by it." She glanced at the soldiers. "What's the plan?"

"No need for one," spoke She-Ra, darkly. She charged towards the soldiers, leaving Glimmer and Bow in the dust.

"She-Ra, no!" hissed Glimmer. She watched the Princess unleash her fury unto the two soldiers. She smacked her hand into her forehead. "Why doesn't she ever listen?"

"Let's worry about that later," said Bow. He ran ahead. "We gotta back her up!"

Petulant, Glimmer sprinted into the fight. She punched her foes with the help of her magic. Beside her, Bow fired his arrows at the alerted soldiers. The two pressed their backs against each other as they circled around their enemies. Arrows zoomed through the sky and magic beams struck the ground.

She-Ra let out a battle cry as she tackled the tanks. They pointed their guns at her, but with a swift slice of the Sword of Protection, they crashed to the ground with melted ends. Brave soldiers tried to take her on. Alas, they were no match for her heroic strength.

She-Ra entered each tank, throwing their pilots out from them. Glimmer joined in, giving the soldiers a round of kicks and punches.

"Take that, and that, and that!" A blast of Glimmer's magic hit all three tanks, plumes of smoke spilling from the gaps in their metal.

The soldiers saw the ferocity their opponents held. They fled from the battle, helping as many wounded cohorts as they could. Some even hopped out of their hiding spots in the tanks and ran away.

Bow dusted off his hands, satisfied with the enemy's retreat. "And that's how you take down a Horde troop!"

"Good job, guys," said She-Ra. She tucked her sword into its scabbard. "That was easier than I thought it was going to be."

"Let's hope they don't come back," said Glimmer. She looked at the defeated tanks. "I'll let my mom know about the tanks."

"Then back to the castle it is!" With a spring in his step, Bow walked back to the entrance of the Whispering Woods.

"Bow, wait!" called Glimmer. She began to run after him, but stopped when She-Ra didn't follow. She looked at her. "You coming?"

She-Ra picked up her gaze from the ground. "Uh, yeah. Just give me a few seconds."

Glimmer nodded and ran after Bow. Positive that she was gone, She-Ra sighed and looked at her foot again.

If she transformed back into Adora, then her foot would continue to hurt. There was no doubt about it. But when she was She-Ra...there was no scourge at all. No discomfort, no hurt, _nothing._

It was the truth; She-Ra was the solution.

Pleased with her decision, She-Ra went back to the entrance of the woods. There, Bow and Glimmer waited for her. Bow was the first to notice her arrival, but was taken aback by her appearance.

"You aren't gonna change back?" he asked.

She-Ra shrugged. "I don't get to be She-Ra that often, so I'm gonna stay like this for a little bit longer."

"I can't blame you," said Glimmer. "You're, like, an eight foot warrior lady! _I'd_ stay that way, too."

She-Ra laughed as she threw her arms around Bow and Glimmer. "Admit it, _everyone_ wants to be She-Ra."

"She-Ra, She-Ra, She-Ra!" chanted Bow.

The three guffawed their way back to the palace, the thought of her injured foot far from She-Ra's mind.

* * *

 

"For the honor of Grayskull!"

Adora transformed into She-Ra, her gallant cape flowing valiantly behind her. Quickly, she threw her sword at the three Horde spies. They tumbled to the ground, quaking in fear.

Glimmer watched from the sidelines, disturbed. This was the third time this week that Adora had transformed for a small fight like this. Was it _really_ worth it?

The Horde soldiers ran away from She-Ra. Smirking, she picked up her sword and swung it around. "That'll teach them."

Glimmer approached She-Ra, frowning. "Adora, don't you think it's pointless to transform into She-Ra for a fight like that?"

"What? No, it's not." She-Ra knitted her brows into annoyance. "It's...it's helpful! We get stuff done faster this way."

"But I don't think it's healthy," countered Glimmer. "Come on, Adora. Just change back. This is the third time already."

She-Ra blew a piece of hair from her face as she shifted into Adora. She threw her head back in irritation. "You happy now?"

"Look, I don't want you to abuse She-Ra's powers is all," said Glimmer. "I know when I use my powers too much, I get really tired. I don't want the same thing to happen to you." She walked away from Adora. "Now let's get back to the palace."

Adora's lips made a thin line on her face as she headed after Glimmer, but before she could take another step forward, her left foot stung with pain. She yelped and fell to the ground.

Glimmer whirled around and ran to Adora's side. "What happened?"

Adora stared at her foot in shock, surging with pain. The throb was even worse now. How did this happen?

"I'm...okay," she managed. "I just tripped. That's all."

"Are you sure?" asked Glimmer as she helped Adora stand up.

"Mhm." Adora struggled to conceal her limp. "I'm fine."

Glimmer doubted every word that came out of Adora's mouth, but there was no use in arguing with her. She slung her friend's arm over her back as she guided her towards the edge of the woods. "Just rest when we get back, okay? Maybe She-Ra is wearing you out."

Guilt washed over Adora. "Yeah, maybe…"

* * *

 

Adora's exhaustion didn't help assuage her worries about her foot. As she laid on her bed, tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

She could barely walk with her foot in this state. Turning into She-Ra all the time wasn't helping its healing process either. Even the ice on her foot right now wasn't doing anything, and ice helped with _everything._

Adora sat up, wiping her tears away. She looked out her window, locking eyes with the stars that blazoned the night sky.

She wanted to do _something._ Being cooped up in her bedroom like this wasn't going to solve her problems. A patrol around the perimeter is what she needed.

Adora grabbed the Sword of Protection by her nightstand and weakly rose it towards the ceiling.

"For the honor...of Grayskull."

* * *

 

She-Ra walked through the Whispering Woods, the aching in her foot now gone. She watched the edges of the forest for any intruders, but found none.

Or so she thought.

From the shadows, a pair of blue and yellow eyes spied She-Ra. The owner of these eyes dug her claws into the bark of the tree she perched on. Smirking, she leapt off of the tree and snuck her way over to She-Ra.

She stood up and leaned against the trunk sleazily. "Isn't it past your bedtime, Adora?"

She-Ra stopped in her tracks. She briskly removed her sword from its scabbard and pointed it at her foe. Shock was written on her face as her eyes adjusted to the figure standing before her. "What are you doing here, Catra?"

Catra unveiled herself from the darkness, the moonlight illuminating her face. She snickered, rapping her fingers against the tree. "Just strolling around is all."

"Don't play games with me," snarled She-Ra. "I _know_ the Horde sent you. Why else would you be here?"

"Am I not allowed to visit anymore?" questioned Catra, unctuously.

She-Ra growled. "Leave or I'll _make_ you."

Catra flexed her claws, veins pulsing with adrenaline. "I was hoping for a fight anyhow."

Without warning, she jumped into the air and whipped out a steel spear from her belt. She-Ra mustered her shield, blocking Catra's attack in the nick of time. She threw her ex-friend off and charged at her with her sword.

Catra swung her spear around, missing She-Ra's face by mere inches. Sparks flew as spear and sword clashed together. The music of battle reverberated throughout the forest; war cries, screeches, and thunderous bellows harmonized to make a song of a broken friendship.

She-Ra backed into a tree, raising her shield high. Catra thrusted her spear into it, leaving an ugly dent. She-Ra howled in frustration and brought her sword down upon Catra. Pieces of brown hair fell to the ground.

Catra stepped backwards, breathing heavily. "You'll _pay_ for that." She smacked the spear across She-Ra's face, and before she could react, she climbed up the nearest tree and hid in their protection.

She-Ra wildly looked around. "You don't have to do this, Catra!" Tears stung her eyes. "We-We don't need to fight!"

A pregnant silence answered She-Ra. The wind whistled around her, concealing Catra's footsteps from above. She-Ra held her sword and shield close to her, anticipating the attack.

She should have looked sooner, for Catra rained down from the tree tops.

She-Ra felt Catra's leg collide with her stomach. She flew to the ground, her sword falling from her grasp. Her shield dissipated into motes of magic.

Catra cackled, chucking her spear near She-Ra's face. A tiny stream of blood streamed down her cheek.

Catra kicked dirt at She-Ra. "Not so tough now, huh?"

She-Ra tried to stand, but her energy was slipping from her grasp. As lethargy overcame her, the powerful forces that binded She-Ra to Adora collapsed. All that remained was Adora, swallowed in the jaws of pain.

Adora's leg gave out. She descended to the ground, shivering. Her dirtied hand drifted towards her left foot. A heart-wrenching cry escaped her lips as her left foot made the slightest of moves.

Catra was ready to pounce, but Adora's whimpering stopped her. She stared at her, dumbfounded.

Tears rivered down Adora's cheeks as she looked into Catra's eyes. Ashamed, she turned her gaze to her foot. Her hands shook violently, no matter how hard she tried to conceal it.

"Just...just get it done," she whispered, choking on her sobs.

The Sword of Protection sat by Catra's feet. She could easily shove it right into Adora, ending this battle once and for all.

Yet she didn't.

A sense of pity sprung from Catra's heart as she watched the weeping Adora. Her injured foot and streaks of blood reminded her of the dark moments of the childhood they shared.

She, too, had scars to hide.

Catra stuck the Sword of Protection back into its scabbard behind Adora. Hesitantly, she picked her up and walked away from their arena.

Adora goggled at Catra. "What...what are you doing?"

Catra grunted. "Shut up."

Through her tears, Adora smiled. She closed her eyes, languor hitting her.

Catra maneuvered through the forest, unknowingly holding Adora tight. She carefully jumped over twisted roots and thorny bushes, afraid of waking Adora. Even in the cloak of the night, she cursed her rosy cheeks.

To add more to her fluster, Adora rested her head into the crook of Catra's shoulder. Her heart skipped a beat.

She wanted to spew a thousand curses, but she didn't.

Daring a glance, Catra looked at the sleeping Adora. She could feel the blood rush to her cheeks as she listened to her quiet breaths.

She wanted to hate Adora with every fiber of her being...but she just couldn't find enough of it.

Pulling Catra away from her bafflement, a quiet camp--presumably made by the Rebellion--was nestled amongst a grove of trees. Quietly, she snuck over to one of the white tents. Grateful that it was empty, she sat Adora down on a cot inside. She knelt down by her, fingers laced within her hair.

Catra leaned into Adora's ear. "I can't fight you like this. Come back next time when you're at your best...okay?" She stood up, her eyes glued to Adora's lips.

_How soft are your lips, Adora?_

_How warm is your embrace, Adora?_

_How much can you repair this heart, Adora?_

Catra shook herself out of her thought. She pulled at her hair. "No, no, no," she spat. "Stop. Just _stop."_

As this confusing blend of emotions clawed at her heart, Catra sprinted out of the tent and into the night. She couldn't look back, not while her thoughts drove her mad.

"Just...forget her, Catra," she told herself with a hint of remorse. "Please, forget her…"

* * *

 

Doctor Everstar wrapped the bandage around Adora's swollen foot with tender hands. "It's definitely in a better state than I thought it was going to be." She glanced at Adora. "How long did you say you hid this for?"

Adora could feel Bow and Glimmer's stares on her back. It didn't help that Queen Angella was in the room, either. "Almost...almost two weeks."

Glimmer gasped. "Adora!"

Angella clasped a hand over her chest, closing her eyes. "We are thankful that you are so resilient, Adora…"

Everstar tied the bandage together. She took a step back, looking at her handiwork. "How does that feel?"

Adora sluggishly moved her foot around. "It's fine."

"Are you sure?" Everstar gathered a pair of crutches sitting near the door. "If need be, I can take some off."

"No, it's okay." Adora looked at the crutches woefully. "I can't feel much anyhow…"

"I'll take those for her," said Bow as he grabbed the crutches.

"Thank you, Bow." Everstar grabbed a bottle of colorful pills from her counter and placed it into Adora's hands. "Take two of these every day. It will help with the pain."

Adora nodded. "Thanks."

Everstar patted Adora on the shoulder. "You'll be alright. It's going to take a while, but your foot is going to be fine." She made her way for the door, glancing at Angella. "Have a nice day, Your Majesty."

"Thank you again, Doctor Everstar," spoke Angella. Once the doctor left, she faced Glimmer and Bow. "Could you two wait outside for a moment?" She eyed Adora. "I would like to talk to Adora in private."

Glimmer pouted. "Fine." She opened the door for Bow as he carried the crutches. "We'll be waiting for you, Adora."

Anxiously, Adora watched the door close. She gulped and looked at Angella. "Am...am I in trouble?"

"Not necessarily," soothed Angella. "I do hope you've learned a lesson from this, though."

Adora grinned awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess so."

Angella pulled up a chair from underneath the counter and sat across from Adora. She grabbed her hands. "Adora, it has come to my attention that you despise showing any signs of pain." She looked at her foot. "This situation is proof of that."

Adora's smile fell. "If you want to put it like that, then yeah."

Angella gave Adora's hands a reassuring squeeze. "Well, you are with the Rebellion now, and we do not encourage the bottling of our own emotions. If you are hurt, you need to let someone know immediately."

"It's not as easy as you think it is," mumbled Adora. Her hands dropped. "The Horde...they've taught us since we were kids that we can't show our pain. It's...it's not courageous."

Angella scoffed. "That is absolute nonsense! Hiding your pain isn't courageous, it's foolish."

Adora looked at Angella, surprised. The Queen shook her head at the absurdity, standing up.

"I hope that you will learn to express your hurt," she said. "It will take time, but...I believe in you."

"But what about the Rebellion?" asked Adora. "I can't stay out this long."

"We will be fine without She-Ra for a while." Angella's eyes glimmered with serenity. "For now, you must rest. We can't have She-Ra in a tired state, now can we?"

"Yeah, you're right..." whispered Adora.

Angella hummed in agreement as she opened the door. "You will recover soon, Adora. Have patience." With that, she left the room.

Adora stared at the door, her doubts subsiding. She looked at her cast around her foot. Instead of her well-acquainted panic, she felt confident.

Glimmer and Bow entered the room moments later. They stood on each side of the bed Adora sat on.

"How are you feeling, bud?" asked Bow with a grin.

"I'm...better," replied Adora.

Glimmer placed her hands on her hips. "Did my mom grace you with her awesome advice?"

Glee wrapped its arms around Adora. "She did, actually."

Bow handed Adora her crutches. "Well, she gave us a special mission." He did a funny dance as he shimmied closer to Adora. "Do you wanna know what it is?"

"What is it?" chuckled Adora.

"We get to watch over you!" declared Glimmer. "We're practically your servants!"

"That, and we're supposed to stop you from doing anything physical," added Bow.

Adora slowly lowered herself off of the bed as she held onto her crutches. "I'm fine with that." She side-eyed Bow and Glimmer devilishly. "I'm going to make you do so many things for me, though."

"Yeah, we know." Glimmer ruffled Adora's hair. "But you're our best friend, so we don't mind."

Bow kept the door open for Glimmer and Adora as they walked out. "Best Friend Squad for life!"

"Whoop, whoop!" Glimmer skipped ahead. She was about to go further, but stopped. Confused, she looked at Adora. "Wait, Adora. You never told us how you got to the security camp in the first place."

The memory of last night resurfaced in Adora's mind. She bowed her head as she hobbled down the hall.

The fight she had with Catra was unexpected and harsh, but it brought out something in Catra that she hadn't seen in a long time; mercy. It was so sudden, but it eased Adora's worries about her best friend. There was something else within Catra's pity as well, but she couldn't quite figure out what it was. It made her heart flutter at the thought of it, though.

Even through her sleep, she heard Catra's words. She played it off as a threat, but Adora knew there was more to it.

The Princess smiled to herself. "It's...kinda a weird story. I'll tell you about it later."

"Aw man, that means you're _not_ going to tell us," complained Bow.

"Don't worry, I will." Adora gazed out the stained glass windows, wistfully thinking of her friend.

"I will soon..."


End file.
